1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to electrochemical cells, and more particularly, to a process for conditioning an electrochemical cell in the presence of an additive at elevated temperatures.
2. Background Art
Conventional electrochemical cells are conditioned, prior to normal use, by cycling (i.e. charging and discharging) the electrochemical cell several times in a controlled fashion. During conditioning of the of the electrochemical cell, a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) or passivation layer is formed. The formation of the passivation layer occurs when an electrolyte component, such as an additive undergoes one or more chemical changes including reduction or decomposition. Once a stable passivation layer has been formed the electrochemical cell can be cycled, or put into normal operation, in a safe and reliable manner.
While a passivation layer serves a valuable purpose during operation of an electrochemical, the conventional process used to form the passivation layer is not without its drawbacks. First, in order to properly form the passivation layer the cell must be cycled several times, which increases conditioning time and overall cost of manufacturing the cell. Second, a portion of the cell's capacity is consumed during the formation of the passivating layer, which directly results in a loss of energy density of the cell.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a process for conditioning an electrochemical cell that remedies the aforementioned complications and/or detriments associated with conventional conditioning techniques.